"The difficult truth is that there are real limits to how much comfort we can bring to loved ones when they hurt. When a baby starts teething, both he and his parents will find themselves up against the limits of comfort: Not even holding or being held will make the pain go away. For a baby, it may be one of his or her earliest lessons that life will have times like that. For the parents, it will be another chance to become more comfortable with what we can and cannot fix."
Fred Rogers, Many Ways to Say I Love You
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Seven months
Hey little man,
Well, you are sick. For the first time, too! I'm pretty sure it's because you have more teeth coming in. Which is weird because your first two teeth came without any extra fussing or anything. But this time you've got the works--runny nose, congestion, fever, excessive drooling, more crabby than usual. Oh well. You need teeth in this life, so this is just something we'll all have to endure!
Other than the teeth, life as a seven-month-old isn't too bad! You are crawling more and more every day. It was so exciting when you first did it; then you kind of forgot. You would start moving and have this look on your face like, "I know I did something new last night, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was." You're a little wobbly, but it's cute. :) Your newfound mobility also means trouble. You are able to get into a lot more things. We're in the process of figuring out a gate for the top of the stairs. And you like to move to the coffee table and try to pull yourself up. Which, unfortunately, has resulted in a few bumps on your head. I'm pretty sure Lucy sees your crawling as a bit of competition. You aren't just a little lump of baby anymore!
You are loving eating solid foods. I'm so glad we waited until last month. You eat yogurt with fruit for breakfast, rice and fruit for lunch, and rice and vegetable for dinner. With some breastmilk in the middle. :) Now that you're seven months, there are more things you can eat. Peas, green beans, asparagus. You will like your green veggies!
We are in the middle of MEA weekend, which means a couple of days off for us since teachers don't have to go to work. It's lovely to be able to be with you everyday, but it's even better when it's just the two of us in our own house! You are doing well adjusting to our days at Leishmans. I think you are excited for Connor to start moving around so you can get into trouble together. Or at least so you can play with each other!
Your nighttime sleep isn't going so well. I think right now I can blame the teething and accompanying congestion and fever. However, your daytime naps have never been better! You predictably take a 1 1/2 to 2 hour morning nap and about a 2 hour afternoon nap. It's just heavenly. After the months of catnapping you survived on! Anyway, I hope once you are feeling better that we can get on a better nighttime schedule. We all need our rest!
One thing you are liking more these days is looking at books. Sometimes you are too distracted by wanting to chew the pages. But when you are focused, you love the pictures. And I think you like hearing the stories too. :) You have a few toys that you really enjoy playing with, but some items are just way more exciting than actual toys--remote controls, cell phones, water bottles, watches, cats. There is just so much to explore. And besides, how are you supposed to know what's a toy and what isn't?!
When we were in Seattle in August, someone asked me what it was like being a mom. I said it was more than I ever imagined and that you were more than I could ever ask for. And it's the truth! I never knew it would be this much fun and I never imagined that I could love you so much. The amount of joy that you bring to our days is incredible. You are an amazing child. And I am always amazed at what new things you do and how you grow. But I look forward to witnessing all of it.
I love you, baby!
Love,
Mom
Well, you are sick. For the first time, too! I'm pretty sure it's because you have more teeth coming in. Which is weird because your first two teeth came without any extra fussing or anything. But this time you've got the works--runny nose, congestion, fever, excessive drooling, more crabby than usual. Oh well. You need teeth in this life, so this is just something we'll all have to endure!
Other than the teeth, life as a seven-month-old isn't too bad! You are crawling more and more every day. It was so exciting when you first did it; then you kind of forgot. You would start moving and have this look on your face like, "I know I did something new last night, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was." You're a little wobbly, but it's cute. :) Your newfound mobility also means trouble. You are able to get into a lot more things. We're in the process of figuring out a gate for the top of the stairs. And you like to move to the coffee table and try to pull yourself up. Which, unfortunately, has resulted in a few bumps on your head. I'm pretty sure Lucy sees your crawling as a bit of competition. You aren't just a little lump of baby anymore!
You are loving eating solid foods. I'm so glad we waited until last month. You eat yogurt with fruit for breakfast, rice and fruit for lunch, and rice and vegetable for dinner. With some breastmilk in the middle. :) Now that you're seven months, there are more things you can eat. Peas, green beans, asparagus. You will like your green veggies!
We are in the middle of MEA weekend, which means a couple of days off for us since teachers don't have to go to work. It's lovely to be able to be with you everyday, but it's even better when it's just the two of us in our own house! You are doing well adjusting to our days at Leishmans. I think you are excited for Connor to start moving around so you can get into trouble together. Or at least so you can play with each other!
Your nighttime sleep isn't going so well. I think right now I can blame the teething and accompanying congestion and fever. However, your daytime naps have never been better! You predictably take a 1 1/2 to 2 hour morning nap and about a 2 hour afternoon nap. It's just heavenly. After the months of catnapping you survived on! Anyway, I hope once you are feeling better that we can get on a better nighttime schedule. We all need our rest!
One thing you are liking more these days is looking at books. Sometimes you are too distracted by wanting to chew the pages. But when you are focused, you love the pictures. And I think you like hearing the stories too. :) You have a few toys that you really enjoy playing with, but some items are just way more exciting than actual toys--remote controls, cell phones, water bottles, watches, cats. There is just so much to explore. And besides, how are you supposed to know what's a toy and what isn't?!
When we were in Seattle in August, someone asked me what it was like being a mom. I said it was more than I ever imagined and that you were more than I could ever ask for. And it's the truth! I never knew it would be this much fun and I never imagined that I could love you so much. The amount of joy that you bring to our days is incredible. You are an amazing child. And I am always amazed at what new things you do and how you grow. But I look forward to witnessing all of it.
I love you, baby!
Love,
Mom
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Movin' and groovin'
I'm falling behind this month. Jack will be 7 months on Thursday, and I have a pathetic number of pictures on the camera. Here are some of them. :)
My favorite thing to dress Jack in is overalls. There's just something so cute about it.
Mmmm...an apple! Talk about solid food! Actually, when I am eating an apple, I sometimes give it to Jack to suck on. You can hear his little bottom teeth scraping against it. Adorable.
Jack's first experience of being bundled up for the cold weather. He wasn't thrilled. When I put the hat on, he kept looking up like, "What the heck is on me?" And he can't move all that well in the jacket, since I got it big enough to last all winter. Oh well. Such is life in Minnesota!
My little reader! My brother-in-law John is home from school in Boston, and Jack loves hanging out with him!
Officially mobile!
That's right, folks. Our boy is now a crawling boy. And as Dan so eloquently put it last night, "Buddy, you just became a whole lot more dangerous." :)
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
6-month portraits
We just got Jack's 6-month pictures back from Target. Here are some good shots!
Yup, this is his Halloween costume--a dragon. He's the softest dragon ever. :)
Monday, October 09, 2006
Are you using the whole buffalo?
For those of you who may have happened to attend the Sara Groves concert on Saturday night, you just saw the title of this blog and said, "Hey! She went to the concert too!" For those of you who did not have the opportunity to be there, you are saying, "Um, what does Sara Groves have to do with buffalo?" Allow me....
I love Sara Groves. I remember the first time I saw her--she came to Open Door when Conversations was coming out for the first time. (It was later re-released with two additional songs). She was very pregnant with her son Kirby (now joined by brother Toby). There was just something about her that hooked me right away. She has an amazing way with words and writes incredible music to boot. I have looked forward to the release of every recording she has put out and was so excited to learn that she was going to be at Bethel this past weekend. I bought two tickets and Dan and I had a great date night planned. Unfortunately, Dan got really sick and spent the better portion of the weekend on the couch. My friend Katie came to the rescue and joined me for the concert. (I even got to have dinner with her and her husband Ben--not exactly a date night, but still way fun!).
Sara explained that this year has been a life-changing year for her and her family. She and her husband Troy had the opportunity to travel to Africa and get connected with a ministry that builds wells so that people don't have to walk miles on end for "clean" water. She mentioned that she had approached the trip expecting to teach the people in Africa something about God or bring something new to their faith. Instead, she learned so much from them and brought back new and exciting revelations from God.
Sara used an analogy to show how God got her attention. If you've seen the movie Dances with Wolves, you know the scene where the Sioux come over the side of the hill with Kevin Costner, only to find the whole field filled with buffalo carcasses. Someone had gotten there first and taken the best part of the buffalo for themselves. The Sioux were so devasted by this because they take great pride in using every single part of the buffalo in their lives, and someone had wasted so much of the animal. They eat the meat. They use the fur as coverings for their shelters. The bladder holds water. The bones can be made into tools. What God pointed out to Sara in the back of a van on the dusty roads in Africa was that she wasn't using her whole spiritual buffalo. He began to reveal to her things in her life that were being wasted. She began to notice that this could hold water or that could be made into a tool.
I love this analogy! And it made me really think about my own crazy life. What it not being used as it should be? What am I completely wasting? I don't necessarily have answers to those questions yet, but it certainly is the new topic of conversation between me and God. :)
So, are you using the whole buffalo?
I love Sara Groves. I remember the first time I saw her--she came to Open Door when Conversations was coming out for the first time. (It was later re-released with two additional songs). She was very pregnant with her son Kirby (now joined by brother Toby). There was just something about her that hooked me right away. She has an amazing way with words and writes incredible music to boot. I have looked forward to the release of every recording she has put out and was so excited to learn that she was going to be at Bethel this past weekend. I bought two tickets and Dan and I had a great date night planned. Unfortunately, Dan got really sick and spent the better portion of the weekend on the couch. My friend Katie came to the rescue and joined me for the concert. (I even got to have dinner with her and her husband Ben--not exactly a date night, but still way fun!).
Sara explained that this year has been a life-changing year for her and her family. She and her husband Troy had the opportunity to travel to Africa and get connected with a ministry that builds wells so that people don't have to walk miles on end for "clean" water. She mentioned that she had approached the trip expecting to teach the people in Africa something about God or bring something new to their faith. Instead, she learned so much from them and brought back new and exciting revelations from God.
Sara used an analogy to show how God got her attention. If you've seen the movie Dances with Wolves, you know the scene where the Sioux come over the side of the hill with Kevin Costner, only to find the whole field filled with buffalo carcasses. Someone had gotten there first and taken the best part of the buffalo for themselves. The Sioux were so devasted by this because they take great pride in using every single part of the buffalo in their lives, and someone had wasted so much of the animal. They eat the meat. They use the fur as coverings for their shelters. The bladder holds water. The bones can be made into tools. What God pointed out to Sara in the back of a van on the dusty roads in Africa was that she wasn't using her whole spiritual buffalo. He began to reveal to her things in her life that were being wasted. She began to notice that this could hold water or that could be made into a tool.
I love this analogy! And it made me really think about my own crazy life. What it not being used as it should be? What am I completely wasting? I don't necessarily have answers to those questions yet, but it certainly is the new topic of conversation between me and God. :)
So, are you using the whole buffalo?
Thursday, October 05, 2006
I love Fred
Rogers, that is. As in Mister Rogers. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is by FAR my favorite children's show. And now that I spend my days with five children under the age of 3, I've seen my fair share of PBS. I love that they are still playing reruns of it. And what's fun is that they are reruns that I remember from when I was young! But honestly, he was a pretty amazing man. And I think I have more appreciation for what he does now that I'm an adult. And a mom. And a teacher. His corny little songs (all of which he wrote, by the way) are really so perfect! And his neighbors. And the fact that he changes into sneakers and a sweater at the beginning of every episode. And the traffic light in the middle of his house. And the neighborhood of make-believe. And his fish tank. And I could go on and on. Instead, if you want a little walk down memory lane, check out his website. I'm not ashamed to say that I have officially made naptime 1:30 so that we can all learn something from the neighborhood before snoozing. :)
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